Concept Korea
The past week has been somewhat of a blur, but I believe the Concept Korea New York Fashion Week event, was the second one I attended this season (it was the first runway event I had seen since the nineties when my sister used to model, and when she owned her own clothing line). I was not disappointed! The event took place at Gallery I, Spring Studios. If you like, you can skip the reading part (which I’m almost certain you will), and get to the runway images.
Concept Korea is a “government-sponsored fashion show aimed at helping emerging Korean designers to promote themselves outside Korea”, founded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). Their event in New York featured the work of designers LIE, ILSE, and Leyii. Below are the runway images from NYFW SS20 by the young designers, accompanied by short bios of each.
Images © by Eugene Manning Photography.
LIE
Launched in 2013 by designer Chung Chung Lee, LIE is a modern women’s ready-to-wear label that celebrates the masculine-feminine duality in clothing. Upon graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, Lee held a senior designer position for many years with LIE SANGBONG, Korea’s primary luxury brand.
Lee introduces elevated silhouettes within his collections bridging bold colors and soft features effortlessly while combining his signature tailoring and unconventional use of fabrics.
LIE is distributed online and through wholesale accounts across the globe including specialty shops and department stores in Korea, Singapore, China, Turkey, the Middle East, Canada, and USA.
Show Credits:
Stylist – Delphine Danhier
Shoes – Banu
Headwear – Lynn Paik
Nails – Roxanne Campbell
IISE
IISE, a fashion and lifestyle brand founded by brothers Kevin and Terrence Kim gives a street-inspired nod to South Korea’s rich history and heritage. The brother design duo’s desire to share aspects of their Korean culture with the world inspired them to create IISE. Born in the USA, the Kim brothers always identified as Koreans but grew up knowing very little about their heritage. After traveling for the first time to Korea, they felt influenced by their Korean heritage, and the desire to share aspects of their culture allowed them to create a brand that combines elements from the past with inspirations from the present while still looking into the future.
IISE combines fashion, art, music, and culture while striving to create something uniquely Korean for the people of the world. Kevin and Terrence Kim’s vision for IISE is to become a global lifestyle brand inspired by Korean sensibilities that can expand beyond fashion.
IISE is distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Show Credits:
Stylist – Matthew Henson
Shoes – Nike
LEYII
Designer Seunghee Lee launched Leyii at London Fashion Week in 2009 to much appraise. Lee obtained her BA in Womenswear Design from London College of Fashion followed by her MA in Womenswear from Central Saint Martins.
Leyii is a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear collection that reimagines the interpretation of modern femininity. The collections illuminate a quiet yet powerful female style. Each collection boasts a fresh balance of experiential patterns and attention to detail whilst embodying minimality that highlights the foundation of the female identity.
My sincere thanks to Concept Korea for the invitation, and for providing me with an amazing first experience. I look forward to continued success from all of the designers.
Show Credits:
Stylist – Zara Zachrisson
Shoes – Chaussure Lapin
Check out more designs by these fabulous designers, by following their links: LIE, IISE, LEYII
